Reflecting Light
by realornotreal22
Summary: This story takes place five months after the last episode 'Bon Voyage'. Luke and Lorelai are engaged and living together and someone the whole town has missed is coming to visit. The story is much better than the summary, I promise! R
1. Little House

Author's Note: _Here is the first chapter of the Luke/Lorelai saga. I hope you like it! _

_Disclaimer: _I own nothing but the magnificent plot.

_--_

"_It's the way that he makes you feel. It's the way that he kisses you. It's the way that he makes you fall in love."_

Lorelai sang with the music blaring from Rory's desktop as she begrudgingly washed the dishes loitering in the kitchen sink. She placed the clean dish under the faucet spouting warm water, swaying to the music. She looked at the pile and sighed, wondering how there could possibly be that many dishes still in the sink after nearly an hour of scrubbing. She shook her head, cursing herself for letting Sookie cook dinner and refusing to accept her offer to clean up. She shrugged and continued singing.

Luke turned into the drive and parked behind his soon-to-be wife's car. He turned off the engine and made his way toward the front door. He stopped just short of the steps leading up to the porch upon hearing the music emitting from Rory's room. His eyebrows knitted in confusion as he continued making his way to the front door. He smiled as the door closed behind him, hearing Lorelai singing happily to the music. He quietly walked out of the doorway and into the hall. His jaw dropped in surprise once he took in the sight of Lorelai Gilmore doing dishes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Ah!" Lorelai screamed, dropping the plastic cup she was holding back into the soapy substance with a resounding splash. She quickly shut her eyes as water sprayed into her face.

Luke laughed, taking a dry washcloth out of the drawer and gently wiping the soap off of her face. Her eyes flickered open as she took in the appearance of Luke Danes. Her blue eyes pierced him with their glare. He laughed and kissed her.

"Hi." He said.

"You scared me!" She said, flicking soap at him.

"Well, if the music wasn't so loud, you woulda heard me come in." He said, wiping the bubbles off his plaid shirt.

"I'm doing dishes! I needed _something _to keep me going!" She protested.

"Yeah, speaking of which. What the hell are you doing?" He asked, indicating her soapy hands and wet t-shirt.

"I'm writing a glorious novel about my handsome fiancé who runs a diner and wears nothing but a mountaineer hat when he cooks…" Lorelai trailed off, letting the image sink in.

"There will never be a mountaineer hat." Luke said.

"Oh, if I want a mountaineer hat, there will _be_ a mountaineer hat." Lorelai said, wriggling her eyebrows at him. Luke sighed and shook his head.

"So why are you--" He trailed off and gasped. "Oh lord, your parents are coming over aren't they?!"

Lorelai almost dropped another inanimate object in the sink.

"What? Why would my parents be coming over?"

"I dunno! You're doing _dishes_, Lorelai. You _never _do dishes. The only time you really clean at all is when someone's coming over and even then you wait for me to do the dishes. But if your parents were coming over, you'd make sure the dishes were done and the house was clean cuz you know you would never hear the end of it if it wasn't."

"Luke! My parents are _not _coming over."

Luke stared at her suspiciously for a few minutes, wondering whether or not he should believe her. She rolled her eyes and laughed at the expression on his face.

"Why would I lie? You know I'm not that mean."

"Oh thank god." Luke sighed in relief. "Who _is _coming over then?"

He asked, pulling a chair out from under the table and sitting down. Lorelai smiled and turned around, back against the wet counter top.

"Guess."

"Uhhhh….Willy Wonka?"

She gave him a look.

"No? Hmmm, the _real _Paul Anka?"

"My God, you've been hanging around me way too much."

Luke laughed.

"Um, Sookie and Jackson?"

Lorelai snorted and shook her head.

"Oh come on, Babe, you know me better than that. If Sookie and Jackson were coming over, I wouldn't bother cleaning up. They're like my brother and sister, they _know_ I rarely clean."

"Then we're back to your parents! Who else do we know that doesn't know how rarely you pick up a sponge or a broom for that matter?" Luke asked.

"Wow, you're just _horrible _at this guessing thing." Lorelai said.

Luke shrugged and blinked at her, bringing his feet up to rest on the chair opposite him.

" Well, that's what I got you for." Luke smiled.

"Fine, I'll give you a hint. She hasn't been to Stars Hollow in two months."

Luke's face brightened as his feet hit the floor.

"Rory's coming home?! No way!"

Lorelai nodded, smiling happily.

"They're gonna be in the next town over until tomorrow afternoon so Rory's gonna come home for the night and leave in the morning."

"That's great!" Luke said, glancing down at her stomach. "So have you told her yet?"

"Told her about what?" Lorelai asked, looking at him. She followed his gaze down to her stomach and shook her head.

"Not yet. I told you I wanted to tell her in person."

"Well, good, cuz once you tell Rory, we can tell everyone…" He looked unsure he as got up to lean against the counter. "Right…?"

Lorelai sighed and set down the plate she was washing. She dried off her hands with the cloth beside her and turned towards Luke, placing her damp hands on his chest.

"Of course. I'm sorry I've been keeping it a secret the last month, but I just really wanted Rory to know before the whole town…and I'd feel really weird telling her over the phone. With news as great as this, it's just not right to tell her over the phone, you know? It was bad enough I had to tell her that we were getting married over the phone, I just can't tell her that I'm pregnant that way too."

Luke nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist, satisfied with her reasoning.

"Good. That means that we're gonna make you an appointment with the town doctor, right?"

"Right." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"And then we can let Sookie tell the town so we don't have to do it."

Lorelai laughed.

"Oh won't she be happy. I still can't believe that she guessed. I mean, she knew before I did. When she suggested it, I automatically thought 'no way, that's not even possible'. Sookie was over the moon once she saw the look on my face. She almost shouted it to the whole inn."

Luke laughed, remembering how Sookie reacted when she found out that they'd kissed for the first time.

"Yeah…but what do you expect? She's had three kids already. I think she's memorized the signs."

"Yeah, I suppose." She said, kissing him before returning to the large pile of dishes.

"Here, let me help." Luke offered.

The phone began to ring.

"Go answer that first."

"All right." Luke said, dragging out the "a" in the statement.

He set down the towel and walked into the living room to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Luke!"

"Hey Rory! Where are you?"

"Uhhh about an hour outside of Stars Hollow."

"Oh, that's so great. We can't wait to see you."

"Aw! I can't wait to see you guys either. Is my mom home?"

"Yeah, but she's incapacitated at the moment."

"Oh god, did she fall on another table? Run into another door? Step into another friendly pile of snow that turned out to be a puddle? Shall I continue?"

Luke laughed and shook his head.

"No, probably not. I've got something better. She's doing…" Luke paused for dramatic effect. "_dishes._"

Rory gasped, immediately adopting a concerned persona.

"Oh lord, did she bang her head? Did you have her examined?!"

"No…but maybe I should…there's gotta be _something _wrong with her."

Lorelai turned, incredulous look in place.

"There's _nothing _wrong with me! The dishes just needed to be done! Now stop talking about me, damn it!" She said, feigning anger.

Both Rory and Luke laughed.

"Wow, you seem to be making an honest women out of her." Rory said.

Luke scoffed.

" I don't know where this is coming from, but it's definitely not my influence. I've been living here for two months and she hasn't cleaned once. I nearly had a heart attack when I walked into the house and saw her doing dishes. I immediately thought your grandparents were coming over."

"Oh no, I nipped that in the bud." Rory said.

"What? Nipped what in the bud?" Luke asked.

"Umm…well, Grandma called me an hour ago, complaining about having not seen me in three months…"

"Oh my god, Rory, please tell me you didn't tell her you were gonna be home tonight…" Luke begged.

"I couldn't lie, Luke! You know I don't lie!"

"Oh, Rory! You're too honest for your own good!" Luke sighed.

Rory laughed and continued.

"Don't worry, I handled it. I told her that I just wanted to spend time at home with you and Mom because I haven't been home in over two months."

"She tried to get you to go to Hartford, didn't she?"

"How'd you know?"

"Really? Do you have to ask?"

"I guess not…" Rory said, laughing. "You've become very in tuned to the Gilmore ways, Luke. I applaud you."

"Wow, thanks. I feel very special."

"You should. Hey, I gotta go, we're pulling up to the hotel right now. I'm taking a cab over there as soon as we're finished up here. I should be home in no more than two hours." Rory said, getting off the bus. "And once I get home, we're having a major discussion about the wedding because if you guys wanna get married in two months, then we have to get all the dresses and tux's ordered ASAP, okay?"

"All right, major wedding discussion when you get home." Luke promised.

"Good. I'll be home soon. Love you guys!"

"We love you too."

"I love you, Rory!!" Lorelai shouted from the sink.

Rory laughed as her boss motioned for her to follow him.

"Okay, I really gotta go. Give her a kiss for me. Bye."

"Bye."

Luke put the phone down and walked behind Lorelai, wrapping his arms around her stomach. He pressed at quick kiss to her temple and let his head rest in the crook between her neck and shoulder.

"That's from Rory." He whispered.

She smiled and let her head rest on his as she finished the dishes. Luke reached into his pocket as it began to vibrate. He flipped it open and showed Lorelai the message from Rory. _Make my mom stop cleaning. I wanna come back to the home I left. I miss that home…and I miss you guys. I'll be home soon. _Lorelai smiled as tears began to well up in her blue eyes. Luke slipped the phone back into his pocket and kissed her neck softly.

"She'll be home in a couple hours."

Lorelai sighed and nodded, missing her daughter. Luke reached for the phone as it began to ring again.

"Hello?" He said, still in the same position.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number."

"No, Emily, you don't."

"Who's this?"

"You know who this is."

"I don't play mind games."

"Obviously you do."

Lorelai huffed as she heard her mothers side of the conversation. She pulled the phone out of Luke's grasp and put it to her ear, letting the remnants of water and soap slip down the drain. She regretfully moved from within Luke's embrace and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Mom, for the last time. Luke lives here and I'd appreciate it if you showed him some respect." Lorelai said, voice cold.

Luke shook his head and began drying the clean dishes.

"How was I supposed to know that was him? He didn't identify himself! For all I knew he was a burglar answering your house phone." Emily said.

"What do you want, Mom?"

"I have to have a reason to call my only daughter?"

"No, of course not. Did you just call to say hello?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I didn't."

"Then the comment about not having to have a reason to call me was brought up to fill the silence that was sure to proceed my first question?"

"I'm in no mood for your sarcastic little comments right now, Lorelai."

Lorelai removed the phone from her face and looked at Luke. _I'm sorry. _She mouthed to him. He shook his and shrugged, letting her know it was fine.

"Lorelai?"

"I'm here, Mom."

"It's rude to not answer the person who spoke last."

"Thanks for the tip. What's up, Mom?"

"Rory has informed me that she is going to be in your little town tonight and she says that she doesn't have time to see us because she wants to spend time at home." Emily said.

"Well, she's only got one night here, Mom. She has to leave early in the morning to be back at the hotel before they leave."

"I see. Your father and I haven't seen her in three months and we haven't see you in two weeks."

"Mom, I apologized about that. There were emergencies at the Inn the last two Fridays. And there's nothing I can do about you not seeing Rory, if she doesn't have time to go to Hartford, then she can't. I'm sorry, but I'm sure she'll make it up to you when she's in town next."

"Actually, there is something you can do about that. Your father and I would like to come over for dinner so we can see Rory."

Lorelai's jaw dropped in horror and Luke gave her a questioning look.

"Uh, Mom, I really don't think you guys would be--"

"Lorelai, I want to see my granddaughter." Emily said, cutting her off.

"You know what, Mom? I didn't get that last part, I think my phone is breaking up…"

"Don't even try to do that to me, Lorelai! How you can be so incredibly rude to your mother, I will never know!"

"Mom, we are planning on eating cheeseburgers and fries and pop tarts and any other type of junk food you can possibly think of for dinner. I hardly think you and Dad would be up for that."

Luke's eyes widened as he realized what had Lorelai looking so upset.

"My God, Lorelai, can't that boyfriend of yours cook anything besides cheeseburgers?" Emily asked, disgusted.

"You would just _love _it if I said no, wouldn't you? As a matter of fact, he can he do much more than that. I'm sorry, but Rory is coming home and we're eating what she wants tonight."

"I'm sure she would much rather eat something like duck or even chicken-"

"Actually," Lorelai interrupted "Luke offered to cook her anything she wanted and that's what she picked, so that's what we're eating."

Emily sighed, the air full of frustration and impatience.

"Well, that's fine. Your father and I will just eat at home."

"Okay, then. Rory will call you later and tell you when she'll be in town next so she can make a special date with her grandparents."

"Oh, we're still coming over, Lorelai. We'll just have a late dinner is all."

Lorelai was at a loss for words. Her mouth opened and closed several times, finding it difficult to produce any sound.

"Now, what time is Rory going to be there?" Emily asked, taking her silence as acceptance.

"Around 6." Lorelai said, sighing.

"We will see you at 6:30." Emily said. "Goodbye, Lorelai."

Lorelai hung up and looked down at the table, unmistakable pout in place.

"They're coming over, aren't they?"

"Being pregnant makes me less argumentative, damn it! I completely gave up! That's not me! I _never_ let my mother manipulate me! I couldn't even speak after

she said they were still coming over! I just--oh my god! Luke, my _parents _are coming over. Because I couldn't put her off! What is wrong with me?!"

"Oh, Baby--" Luke began.

"That's it! Exactly! It's the baby." She looked down at her still very flat stomach. "You made me let my guard down!"

Luke pulled a chair up next to her and sat.

"Hey hey hey. Lets not blame the unborn child residing in your uterus."

Lorelai couldn't help but laugh at that statement.

"I can't believe you just said uterus."

Luke shook his head, disbelieving.

"How you are mature enough to have a daughter Rory's age is beyond me."

She laughed and placed a hand on his cheek.

"It's all right. We'll deal with them being here. They can't stay for too long, right? I mean, we can claim that Rory's gotta get up really early…Actually, we can claim that we all have to get up really early." Luke said as an afterthought.

Lorelai looked down sadly.

"We're supposed to tell Rory about the baby tonight…and we're supposed to have major wedding talk and watch trashy movies to give Rory a small taste of her home life again…we can't do any of that with Richard and Emily Gilmore here."

Luke took her face in his hands and gently forced her to meet his eyes.

"We will. We will do all of that tonight. I promise. We'll get your parents out of here as fast as humanly possible, all right?"

Lorelai nodded and placed a tender kiss on his lips. Luke wrapped his arms around her and sighed, hating her parents for intruding on Lorelai's night with Rory. They broke apart slowly after Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead. He got up and finished drying and putting away the dishes as Lorelai sat watching him.

"You know how I think you're sexy while you cook? Well, it seems to work with the whole doing dishes aspect as well."

"Oh jeez."

"Especially when you rub that towel over the plate like that…"

"How you can make drying a plate sound dirty I will never know."

"Oh, I can make _anything_ sound dirty. You knew that when you met me."

"Oh yeah, along with all the other highly charming qualities that you have. Coffee addiction, the prospect that you made Rory a caffeine addict, the strange ability to eat or drink anything in large quantities without puking your guts out-"

"Ah, yes, the Lorelai paradox."

"The fact that you can talk anybody into anything…or just the fact that you can talk and talk until the person you're talking to is willing to do whatever you want to get you to shut up…need I say more?"

"Oh, Luke, you know you secretly adore every one of those qualities. If not, you would've thrown that horoscope away the moment I left the diner the day you met me." Lorelai said proudly.

Luke smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a deep kiss…

--

I hope you liked it! Please review! It fuels that burning flame that produces the amazing stories. Lol.

And here's a lovely Gilmore Girls quote for you.

Lorelai: So, let me get this straight. Uh, you and some guys who actually know what they're doing are gonna come over and fix my house, and I can pay them back whenever I want? Luke: That's right. Lorelai: 'Cause I'm Tony Soprano? Luke: Only scarier.


	2. Time of Our Lives

_Author's note: Here's the next installment! I hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: The character's do not belong to me._

_Read and Review please!!_

_-- _

"Lorelai."

Luke's head appeared from behind the screen door as he peered at his fiancé sitting on the porch, petting a sleeping Paul Anka.

"What?" She asked, keeping her gaze fixed on the street leading up to the gravel drive for any sign of movement.

Luke smiled and let the door shut behind him as he stepped out onto the porch. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Rory will be here as soon as she can, all right?" He said, rubbing the back of her neck softly.

"I know…she said she'd go faster now that she found out Hitler and her husband are on their way…"

Luke gave her a look and Lorelai laughed.

"It's only 5:35...they're not gonna be here till 6:30." Luke said.

"Oh and they will be. My mother does not believe in being late. Although she does love to inflict her presence on me earlier, so she might just show up at 6 so she can torture me before Rory gets here."

"She'll be here soon; maybe there was traffic."

"Oy, with the poodles already…" Lorelai sighed.

Luke stared at her for a minute before feeling her forehead with the back of his hand.

"What are you doing?" She asked, shrinking away from his hand.

"What did you just say?" He asked her, looking at her as though he were questioning her sanity.

"I said--" She broke off, seeing a cab pull up behind Luke's truck.

"Oy with the poodles already!!" She screamed, jumping up and running toward the still moving vehicle.

"Copper boom!!" Rory yelled from within the cab before wrenching open the door and jumping out of the car.

Both girls screamed as they collided, arms wrapping around each other. Luke watched as they overbalanced and fell onto the grass, still within their tight embrace. He walked passed them to the cab driver who had a very bewildered look upon his face. Luke pulled out his wallet and handed the man a fifty. He nodded, glanced at the girls still hugging in the grass and got into his cab. Luke reached in the back and pulled out Rory's purse before he drove away. Luke laughed as he spotted two of the people he loved most sitting on the grass, talking as if in their own little world. He picked up Rory's bags and carried them into the house. It was a good thirty seconds before Lorelai noticed that the cab, as well as her fiancé, were no where to be seen. Rory looked slightly panicked as all of her luggage was in the cab. Lorelai stood, taking her daughter with her.

"Don't worry, kid. I'm sure Luke took care of it." She said, placing her arm around Rory's shoulders and leading her into the house.

"Luke?" She called.

"I'm right here." He said from the couch.

"Hey did you get--" Lorelai began.

"Everything's in your room, Rory." Luke said.

"Did you get my purse from the backseat?" She asked.

"Yep. I got your purse and your two bags."

"Thanks, Luke!" Rory said, hugging him.

"You're welcome. I figured you guys needed a minute."

"How much for the cab?" Rory asked, getting up from the couch to retrieve her purse.

Luke stared after her and shook his head.

"Nothing."

"What?" Rory said, turning.

"Don't worry about it." Luke said as Lorelai sat down beside him.

"Luke, I'm not gonna let you pay for my cab ride."

"Well, it looks to me like you haven't got a choice…" Luke said.

"Luke!"

"Rory!"

"Let it go, Hun, you're not gonna win this one." Lorelai said, leaning against Luke.

"Wow, you're starting to sound like Mom." Rory said.

"I know, it rubs off." He said, laughing.

Rory gave them a look of defeat and retreated into her bedroom. Lorelai smiled and got up to go after her, patting Luke on the leg as she went. Looking back, she laughed as she spotted Paul Anka taking her spot on the couch, his head resting upon Luke's thigh. She stopped just before entering the room, watching her daughter take in the familiarities of her bedroom and home. Lorelai walked in and sat on her bed. Rory turned to her and smiled.

"I hadn't realized how much I've missed this place…" She said, sitting down next to her mother.

"Yeah…I know." Lorelai said, hugging her again. "So how've you been, kid?"

"I've been great. Spending a lot of time on a bus…" Rory laughed.

"Yeah, but you're having fun, right?" Lorelai asked.

Rory nodded and sighed happily.

"Enough about my job, how's life in Stars Hollow?" Rory asked.

"Same old, same old. Kirk's found a new hobby; Tae Kwon Do. Although I don't think it's going to last very long after he tried to dropkick Luke in the diner. Luke had him begging for mercy in seconds; it was quite a scene. Miss Patty put on yet another spectacular show last week; Harry Potter the musical. _Huge_ success. Luke was so incredibly close to throwing his chair at the cast. It was amazing. You would've applauded him. Babette is…_still _Babette. Sookie and Jackson are doing wonderfully with baby Matthew; he's a little angel. Sleeps all night. Lane is becoming quite a _spectacular_ mother. The Dragonfly's doing great; we're pretty booked this month. Luke's is doing great per usual. This town rarely changes, you know that."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I love it so much. No matter where I've been or what I do, I always have this town to come back to…"

"I know, one of life's small comforts." Lorelai smiled.

"And what about you and Luke? Still happy? Everything going good there?"

"Everything is much better than just good in that category…"

"Dirty?" Rory asked.

"Oh very much so."

Rory rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't know why I encourage you."

"Oh, I would've made the comment if you hadn't, you know that."

"Sadly, I do."

"So, what about you? Have you talked to Logan?"

Rory shrugged and pulled a face.

"Not really…he called me a few times, but I don't know what he wants…I still love him and I probably always will, but I'm just not ready to be married. It has nothing to do with him. I just don't feel like I'm up to the challenge of being a wife and moving to California and…I dunno…I'm not sure where we stand right now."

"When was the last time he called you?" Lorelai asked.

"A couple days ago. I just don't think he understands how much I've got on my plate at the moment…and besides, the whole prospect of moving all the way to California really scares me. I mean, I've only been away for two months and it's been killing me and I still technically live here…if I move to California, it'll be permanent. I'd be so far away from you and Luke and Sookie and Lane and Stars Hollow…It's just too much for me to go through. I don't think I'll ever be able to really move away from here…" Rory said sadly.

"And have you told him that?"

Rory shook her head and Lorelai knew she was ready to drop the subject of her and Logan. Lorelai nodded and stood, motioning for Rory to follow her.

"We have about a half hour before your Grandparents get here, so lets get down to business." Lorelai said, calling Luke from the kitchen.

"Business?" Rory asked.

"The wedding, silly."

"Oooooh right." Rory said, sitting across from her mom.

Luke walked in with a curious expression on his face.

"Sit, future husband." Lorelai demanded.

He raised his eyebrows at her, but sat all the same.

"Okay, so I have my dress already and we've ordered Luke's tux. What we really need to discuss are the dresses for you, Sookie, and Lane. Oh, and April's dress. You've talked to Anna about her coming down for the weekend of the 5th, right?"

Luke nodded and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, but she wasn't too happy about it. April says she's going though. She's turning 15 soon, so she can make her own decisions."

"Okay, well, I did the dress research a few days ago and I sent the sites to you, Sookie, Lane, and April. Have you checked your email recently?" Rory said.

"No, you know I'm not on the computer much…" Lorelai said.

"Well, I've indicated the ones that I like; you just have to pick the color. You need to talk to Sookie and Lane when you get a chance because I obviously don't have time to do it tonight. And I'm not sure what kind of dress you want April to have, seeing as she's more of the flower girl as opposed to a bridesmaid."

"Yeah, I'm not sure yet. I'll have to look at all the dresses you picked out."

"All right. Luke, have you figured out who your groomsmen are?" Rory asked.

"Uh…yeah. Jackson, Zach, and Jess." Luke said.

"Good. Did you tell them?" Rory asked.

Luke gave her a look.

"Of course I told them."

Rory lifted her eyebrows at him, forcing him to abandon his cool demeanor and laugh.

"Are you guys paying for their tuxes?" Rory asked.

"No." Luke said the same time Lorelai said "Yes."

They both looked at each other.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"What do you mean 'yes'?"

"We can't expect them to have to pay for a tux when they're gonna be in _our_ wedding. That's like asking Lane and Sookie to pay for their own dress."

"No, it's not. They can easily rent black tuxes anywhere around here. They don't need to _buy_ them."

"Okay, then. We'll pay for the rentals." Lorelai said.

"Why? We're already paying for all the dresses. I think the guys can handle paying the rental fee for their tuxes." Luke argued.

"Ooookay!" Rory interrupted just as Lorelai opened her mouth to retaliate.

"Luke's right. You guys are already putting so much money into this wedding. It really won't hurt the guys to rent tuxes." Rory said.

"All right, fine. But you get to tell them that." Lorelai said to Luke.

"I already did. I thought that was how it worked."

Lorelai shrugged and returned her gaze to Rory.

"So, is that all? I mean, for now." She asked.

"Uh…I think so." Lorelai said, checking her wedding book. "I'm gonna have to schedule a tailoring of my dress in the next month though."

Rory froze, staring at her mother.

"What? Why would you need to tailor your dress?"

Lorelai glanced down at her stomach and shot a questioning look at Luke. He nodded and motioned for her to speak. Rory watched this little exchange with a bemused expression. Lorelai locked eyes with her daughter, smile on her face.

"What's going on…?" Rory asked skeptically.

Lorelai sighed happily, unconsciously placing her hand upon her stomach.

"Rory…there's something we have to tell you…"

"What?" Rory asked, rather impatiently.

"I'm pregnant." Lorelai blurted, unsure of how Rory would react.

Rory's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Oh my god, are you serious?" She asked.

"Yeah…" She said, nodding.

"OH MY GOD!!" Rory screamed, jumping out of her chair and running over to hug her mother. Lorelai hugged her back, mimicking Rory's excited shrieks. Rory turned to Luke and hugged him as well.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you guys!" She said, hugging them both.

"Are you really?" Lorelai asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be? This is fantastic!" Rory said.

"I dunno, I mean, it's kinda soon. We're not even married yet." Lorelai said.

"Mom. Soon? You guys have loved each other for like 10 years. It's _not _too soon." Rory said, laughing slightly.

Lorelai smiled and hugged her daughter tightly.

"I love you, Sweets."

"I love you too, Mom."

Luke watched this little exchange with nothing but love in his eyes. _If we have a kid even half as good as Rory, I'll be the happiest man on the planet. _He thought to himself.

"Celebrating Rory's homecoming, are we?"

Emily Gilmore's voice filled the air, making Rory and Lorelai jump. Luke bit his lip and walked behind Lorelai and Rory, placing his arms around their shoulders as he went.

"Yep. That's exactly what we're so happy about. It's just too bad Rory's not gonna be staying for very long. She'll have to be in bed around 9 because she has to be up so early."

Luke said, squeezing his step-daughter's shoulder affectionately. Rory smiled before putting her arm around Luke's waist and hugging him back. He placed a quick kiss to the top of her head and grinned at Emily and Richard. Lorelai's eyes filled with happy tears and she quickly blinked them away, lest her parents ask why she was being so emotional. Emily gritted her teeth angrily. _How dare that man stand there and pretend that Rory is his daughter? _She thought just before placing a pained smile on her face.

"Well, that's too bad." Emily said about Luke's comment. "We're still glad to be able to see her till then."

Rory released Luke and walked over to her grandparents to give them each a hug.

"I missed you guys." Rory said.

"Well, we missed you too." Richard said, releasing Rory and making his way over to his daughter.

"Lorelai." He greeted, opening his arms for a hug. Lorelai smiled at the gesture and gladly embraced her father.

Once they pulled apart, Richard held his hand out to Luke. Luke, slightly surprised, shook it. Richard smiled rather warmly before letting go.

"It's good to see you again. This place looks great, I'm sure that's more than partly your doing." Richard said.

"Thank you, Mr. Gilmore. I _am_ the only one who cleans in this house." Luke said.

"Hey!" Both Lorelai and Rory said defensively.

"Sorry, Rory. I didn't mean you. You _do _clean when you're home." He said, smiling at her. "And today does _not _count." He jokingly shot at Lorelai.

She stuck her tongue out at him when her father turned his back and lightly socked him on the shoulder. He laughed and started to tickle her, but stopped when he saw the disgusted look on Emily's face.

"So, what're we going to do tonight?" Emily asked the room.

"I was thinking that we could walk around town, so Rory can visit and say hi to everyone." Lorelai said, knowing her mother wouldn't be very happy with just sitting in the house and watching TV.

"That sounds just fine." Richard said merrily, keeping up the cheerful persona he'd adopted shortly before entering Lorelai, Luke, and Rory's house.

Rory nodded and went to retrieve her jacket from her bedroom. Luke did the same and they all headed towards the door, Richard making nice comments about the house on the way out. Emily stopped at the door when she noticed Lorelai leave without a jacket.

"Lorelai, aren't you going to put on a jacket? It's fairly cold outside."

"Nah, I'm good." She said, shrugging.

"I'm sure that you'll be cold." Emily tried again.

"I'll be fine, Mom. Thanks though."

"Hey, Grandma, we could go visit the town Antique Shop." Rory stepped in, sensing an argument. "Remember when I took you there a few years back?"

Emily nodded and smiled at her Granddaughter, letting her lead the way down the front porch steps. Lorelai rolled her eyes and sighed, glancing at her Fiancé. Luke smiled and locked the door. He pulled her into a quick side hug as they walked down the steps behind Emily and Rory. He slipped his hand into hers as they walked across the lawn and onto the side walk. Richard lagged behind, making him the only witness to this loving gesture. He smiled. _It looks like this one is going to work out. _He placed his hands in his pockets, easily accepting the fact that Luke Danes will soon be his son-in-law.

--

_I hope you liked it! _

Random quote:

Lorelai: "Think of something _not_ funny"

Luke: "Can't."

Lorelai: "Earthquakes, hurricanes-"

Luke: "Not doin' it."

Lorelai: "Famine. And I'm out!"


	3. Bring on the Wonder

_Author's note: So, here's the next chapter. So sorry for the wait. I know it's short, but I just wanted to update. Enjoy! _

* * *

Lorelai gazed up at the large tree above her as a small gust of wind sent a multitude of brown, yellow, and red leaves onto the ground. She sniffed the air and smiled before leaning into her husband-to-be's side.

"Snow is coming." She whispered directly into his ear as her parents and daughter walked ahead of them.

Luke chuckled, a small grin gracing his features.

"Oh yeah? How long do you think we got?" He asked, just as quietly.

She sniffed the air again, squinting as the bright sun emerged from behind the clouds. She blinked repeatedly before turning to Luke, majestic grin in place.

"No more than a month." She stated, confident in her assessment.

"Well, we better get ready for that." Luke said as he slipped his arm around her waist.

"When did we get to the point where you stopped mocking me for being friends with snow?" Lorelai inquired, eyebrow raised.

Luke laughed out loud as he ushered her across the street.

"We reached that point when I mended your friendship by building you an ice rink a few winters ago." Luke said, grin in place.

"Ooooooh! Yes, I remember that. The snow and I had a great time that night; forgetting, of course, how absurd I looked trying to stay upright in ice skates."

"You didn't look absurd." Luke chuckled.

Lorelai gazed at him, incredulous look in place. Luke grinned.

"Okay, you did, but you still looked gorgeous and adorable." He said, placing a kiss atop her mass of curls.

"Awww." She flashed her Gilmore charm smile before kissing his cheek.

"Even if you did look like the crazy lady we know and love as well." Luke mumbled.

She pulled out of his grasp with an outraged expression gracing her features to punch him rather roughly on the arm. He quickly feigned injury, stumbling back and rubbing his arm furiously as he went.

"Jerk." She said, giggling like a child while trying to run from his outstretched arms.

She ran ahead as he chased her, not noticing when he fell behind, for she had immediately held the impression that she was winning. She slowed and turned to see what was keeping him. He had slowed as well; only stopping momentarily to pick up a tube of lip gloss laying among the stray leaves.

"I don't think pink's your color." Lorelai teased as she jogged over to him, for she hadn't seen the tube fall from Rory's purse.

Luke gave her the trusty "You're really not as funny as you think you are" look.

"It's Rory's. I saw it fall out of her purse just now."

"Aw. How sweet. My fiancé is just a doll." She said, grin in place.

"A doll? Really?" Luke asked before shoving the tube into his back pocket.

Lorelai watched it disappear before recognition dawned on her.

"Wait, no! That's mine!" She quickly reached into his pocket, making sure to brush his butt during the search, and pulled the lip gloss back out.

Luke blushed slightly before looking behind them to make sure that no one saw her little act of indiscretion.

"That little thief! I've been looking all over for this!"

"You have no shame, you know that?" Luke whispered frantically, blue eyes darting up and down the street. "Your parents are right there!"

Lorelai laughed, absolutely loving the embarrassed look and red tinge appearing on his face.

"Oh, take it down a notch, Paul Anka. No one saw!" Lorelai laughed again before turning to call Rory. "Hey! Daughter of mine!"

Rory stopped and turned toward the sound of her mother's voice. An involuntary grin graced her features as she took in the sight of Luke's arm wrapped around Lorelai's waist. She walked the few feet to them

"Hey! My lip gloss!" Rory said once she saw the tube in Lorelai's hand.

"I'm sorry, but what? You mean _my _lip gloss." Lorelai corrected.

Rory's face immediately relaxed into the look of innocence that had helped her worm out of numerous consequences as a child.

"Oh, no, Sweets. That look hasn't worked on me since you got mud all over the hotel sheets and blamed it on an invisible dog when you were six." Lorelai said.

Rory laughed and fell into step with her mother and Luke.

"Hey, I still maintain that there was a dog, a _real _one, that got those sheets muddy. He ran in, rolled in the sheets, and ran back out!"

Lorelai shook her head.

"I cannot believe that you're still sticking to that story! You were _covered _in mud!"

"Well, he rolled all over me first!" Rory argued.

"Wow, Hon. You outdid yourself with that new piece of information. Rule number one when it comes to fibbing: never deviate from your original story. I'm disappointed that you've forgotten that." Lorelai said, shaking her head.

Rory laughed, shaking her head as well.

"I know. I know. Day one stuff too." She said, seriously.

"It's okay. Even I forget the basics occasionally." Lorelai said, patting her daughter on the back.

Luke rolled his eyes, slight smirk in place. _Still can't believe that this is my family, _he thought. _No idea what I did to deserve them. _

"Speaking of the basics, grandma is about this close-" she held her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart "-from coming back here and talking you into growing up and learning some manners. She also wants to scold you for taking part in her childish games." Rory said, looking over at Luke.

Luke stared at her, small smile in place.

"Of course she does." He said, shaking his head incredulously.

Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for the tip, Hon. No matter, though! We're enjoying ourselves." She said, smiling up at Luke.

"Good. Just be careful." Rory said, eyeing Lorelai's still very flat stomach.

"Don't worry, Rory. I won't let anything happen." Luke reassured her.

Rory smiled, hugged her mother, kissed her future step father on the cheek, and jogged back to walk with her grandparents.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; if we have a kid even half as amazing as Rory, we're the luckiest parents in the world." Luke said, pride evident within his tone.

Lorelai grinned and tugged on his arm gently. He stopped and turned to face her. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he simultaneously wrapped his own around her waist.

"You know, I promised myself that I wouldn't fall in love with a guy unless he loved Rory as unconditionally as I do." She paused, gazing into his eyes. "I don't know how it took me so long to figure out it was you from the beginning. It's been you since that day you rushed Rory to the hospital when she fell off her bike and broke her wrist. I'm sorry it took me so long."

Luke smiled, tightening his hold on her.

"It's okay. It took me a long time too."

"I love you, ya know." Lorelai whispered, letting her forehead rest against his.

"I know. I've always known. I love you too."

Lorelai, inching up on her tip toes, pressed her lips firmly against his.

"I'm glad you're happy about being stuck with me."

"Psh. Baby, I've been happily stuck with you since the moment you walked into my diner eleven years ago." Luke said before kissing her softly.

They pulled apart when a shrill voice called out their names.

"Will you two get out of the street??" Emily Gilmore chastised them.

"Yes, Mom." Lorelai murmured in a slightly mocking tone.

Luke smiled and pulled her against his side before guiding her toward the antique store that Rory, Richard, and Emily stood in front of. Lorelai, taking in her mother's angered expression, sighed.

"This is going to be a loooong couple of hours."

Both Luke and Lorelai chuckled, so content with life that even a couple hours with her parents couldn't bring them down.

* * *

_Okay, so I know that was really, really short, but I sort of made this a "filler chapter" because I decided not to really add the whole shopping experience with Richard and Emily. It's only implied. The next chapter will start with them either leaving or already gone. I haven't decided yet. Well, I hoped you liked it! Don't forget to review, please! _


	4. Keep Holding On

_Author's Note: Here's the next installment. As of now, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to take this story. I'm just writing for the sake of writing about these wonderful characters. I'm sure the specifics will come to me soon. I hope you enjoy reading. _

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot. _

* * *

"Uggggghhh."

Lorelai groaned loudly as she and Luke plopped down heavily upon their couch. Luke laughed as he took in the image of pure exhaustion tinged with relief upon his fiancé's face. She glared at him beneath heavy eyelids.

"What?? My parents are…_exhausting._ What about me being worn out after two hours is funny to you?" She questioned, feigning anger.

Luke, chuckling quietly, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled the love of his life as close to him as humanly possible.

"It's not funny that you're exhausted; your facial expressions are just cute." Luke said and kissed her on the top of the head before heading to the kitchen to make dinner.

Lorelai grinned and lightly slapped him on the butt as he passed her. He glared at her, cheeks flushed, before continuing towards the kitchen.

"Whoa. Please, keep the dirtiness to a minimum while I'm in the house." Rory said as she entered the living room after seeing her grandparents off.

"Oh, jeez." Luke mumbled from the kitchen.

Lorelai laughed while patting the now vacant seat next to her. Rory sat, legs curling underneath her, and let her blue eyed gaze trail up and down her mother's glowing face.

"You look happy." Rory mused.

"I am, Kid." Lorelai said while unconsciously resting her hand on her stomach.

"No, I mean, really, really happy. Like, even happier than when you first started dating Luke. Actually, I've never seen you this happy. It's…reassuring…knowing that you're so much better than okay." Rory said.

Lorelai giggled and pulled her daughter against her side, arm resting comfortably around her shoulders.

"Well, aren't we observant today?" She asked, laughing.

"Really? You're really commenting on my observant nature? Like it's a new trait?" Rory asked.

"Oh, it's an expression!"

Both girls laughed loudly, filling the room with sounds it hadn't heard in months. Luke listened to their glorious giggles, a grin gracing his features, as he cooked dinner for two of his favorite people.

"Luuuuuucas!!!" Lorelai called. "How is that food coming? I haven't eaten since 6 and it's already 9! It's a medical miracle that I'm still alive!"

"No, it's a medical miracle that you're still alive, and thin, when you eat the way you do." Luke said as he brought out three plates, each containing a burger and fries.

Lorelai shrugged, not feeling anything but proud about that fact, as Luke set their plates in front of them. As he sat next to his fiancé and reached for his burger, he felt two sets of almost identical blue eyes boring into him.

"What?" He asked, burger poised no less than two inches from his mouth.

"Where are the condiments?" Lorelai questioned while letting her eyes roam quickly across the coffee table.

"And the drinks?" Rory added, her gaze mimicking her mother's across the coffee table.

Luke sighed and laughed lightly before standing.

"Sorry, sorry. I don't know how I could forget seeing as I've been serving you both for more than a decade." Luke said as Lorelai grabbed the TV changer and switched on _"Friends_".

"Here, let me help." Rory said, getting up to follow Luke.

"No, it's okay. I got it. You enjoy being home." Luke smiled.

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping." Rory protested.

"Of course you don't. Your mother, on the other hand…" He trailed off.

Lorelai's mouth dropped.

"Hey! I'm carrying your child! I shouldn't have to help until after it's born, at least."

"How long after, exactly?" Luke asked, as though sensing a few words left unsaid.

Lorelai turned her head, breaking eye contact with Luke, and mumbled those few words.

"Only a year or two…"

Luke rolled his eyes and grunted before shuffling into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Babe!" She called to his retreating back, grin in place.

Rory shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you already have him whipped." She said.

"What? He's not whipped! Not yet, anyway. He still grumbles about doing everything."

Rory raised her eyebrows in horror, a silent gasp forming on her lips.

"Oh, Sweets, I'm kidding! Trust me; Luke is _definitely _his own man." Lorelai said, waggling her eyebrows in implication.

"Ew, Mom! While I know that I am almost 23, Luke is like my dad; therefore, those implications are severely disturbing. Not to mention gross." She added as an afterthought.

Lorelai laughed out loud at her daughter's open disgust, while simultaneously feeling a sense of euphoria at hearing Rory practically call Luke her dad.

"Hey." Luke interrupted Lorelai's laughter as he reentered the living room. "Are you talking about what I think you're talking about? Because I know that we already agreed to keep everything about that part of our lives entirely separate from our kids."

Luke handed both girls their drinks before setting down his own and their necessary condiments.

"Oh, come on. That's impossible. One kid has been present for multiple sessions."

"Mom! Please, I beg of you, do _not _force me to think of my poor sibling that's currently living in your uterus suffering through that." Rory protested just as Luke began.

"Jeez, Lorelai! Is it your goal to make the whole room uncomfortable?" He asked.

Lorelai, absolutely giddy, squirted ketchup on her plate before dunking a fry into the red pool.

"Noooo. That's only my goal when I'm in my parent's house." She laughed as she stuffed the fry in her mouth.

"Well, I think maybe you've forgotten where you are. Does this _look _like your parent's house?" Luke asked, ridding his mind of the images of his unborn child present while they made love.

Lorelai gasped dramatically, clutching her hand to her heart as she did so. Luke, fearing the worst, dropped the ketchup bottle on the floor and clutched her shoulder in fright.

"What? What's wrong?? Are you okay??" He asked, practically shouting.

"Oh god, no!" Lorelai gasped. "How can you compare this loving and _comfortable_ home to my parents' vampire lair??"

"Damn it, Lorelai! You scared the hell outta me! Don't _do _that!" He yelled before bending to pick up the dropped ketchup bottle.

"Well, it's good that I scared it away then. I'm not sure I want hell in you at all…" She trailed off.

Luke turned to look at her with incredulous eyes. Lorelai burst out laughing at his expression before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Instantly, the irritation and fear in his heart vanished. He rubbed the side of his face in embarrassment once he remembered that Rory was no more than two feet from them. Rory, pretending that she hadn't heard or seen a thing, kept her gaze glued to the TV. Lorelai lovingly ran her hand through his hair, as though it were a well practiced habit, before returning to the TV and her delicious dinner.

"You know, I don't think this show could get any better. It's like physically impossible to dislike it." Rory commented as Monica began dancing in front of Chandler with a turkey on her head, complete with a pair of huge sunglasses and a tiny hat.

"Oh, I completely agree. The humor is just so…You know, I can't even describe it." Lorelai said.

Luke finished his food and leaned back against the couch in order to get comfortable.

"Well, when I first saw an episode, I didn't think it was that great." He said.

Lorelai pressed pause on the remote before fully turning her body toward him. Rory, upon hearing his comment, did the same. He glanced at each of them in turn, forcing himself not to laugh at their identical expressions of shock.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Lorelai asked.

"I didn't think it was that great…" He repeated as though speaking to a slow person.

"Again, I'm sorry, but what?? You are such a liar! The first time we watched this, you laughed so hard that Helen Keller would have heard it!" Lorelai retorted.

Luke blanched at the metaphor.

"I agree! You were laughing louder than me and mom!" Rory added.

"He couldn't get his pants back on! He was trying to use _lotion_! And then he accidentally slapped himself in the face because he was pulling so hard! You can't expect me not to laugh!" Luke defended.

Lorelai gave him a look of awe inspired pity.

"Aw, Hon, you're just supporting our conclusion that _Friends _is awesome." Lorelai said as she looped her arm through Luke's. "Face it. You love the show just as much as we do. You don't have to try and knock it to make yourself seem manlier."

"Yeah, Luke, you're much more man than this house has seen in many, many years." Rory added. "Liking something that is not action or sports related is okay by us."

"Thanks, Rory. I'm glad that you have no problem reassuring me of my manliness." Luke said, laughing.

Rory laughed right along with him. "Anytime, Luke, anytime." The next few hours were spent mocking numerous movies that Lorelai had kept aside for Rory to see; laughter ensued continuously. If a stranger were to look in on them, their impression would be that of a happy family laughing and spending quality time together. It wasn't until around midnight that the party came to an end, for Rory had drifted off to sleep against her mother; who, in turn, was gradually drifting off to sleep against the love of her life. Luke glanced from the movie, _"Super Troopers"_, when the noise in the room reached a new low. A gentle smile crossed his face at the sleeping girls next to him. Because Lorelai was resting against him, he couldn't move enough to stand.

"Lorelai, honey, wake up." He whispered, jostling her slightly.

She moved only an inch or so before her eyes flickered open.

"Hmmm. What's wrong?" She asked when her eyes met his.

"It's time to go to bed." He whispered.

"No, we're watching the movie."

"No, you were sleeping. Rory still is." He said, chuckling.

Lorelai looked down at Rory.

"We're just resting our eyes for a minute."

"Well, you've been 'resting your eyes' for a good ten minutes now; both of you." Luke said as he tucked a stray curl behind Lorelai's ear. "Time to go to bed."

Luke reached over to wake Rory when Lorelai stopped him. He gazed at her, eyebrows furrowed in questioning.

"I don't want it to end…" She whispered. "Tonight…I don't know when she's gonna come back home again…"

Luke sighed and hugged her against him, pressing his cheek against hers as he did so.

"I know, Baby, I know. But, whether we sleep out here like this or in our rooms, the morning's gonna come." He whispered gently.

"Yeah…I know…" She softly brushed her daughter's hair with her fingertips while Luke traced the veins of her pallid forearm with his fingers.

Lorelai sighed, already missing her little girl.

"Sweets." Lorelai whispered. "Wake up, Hon."

Rory stirred momentarily before opening her eyes slowly. Luke couldn't help but notice, once again, just how similar the two Gilmore girls were. _How is it that they even wake up in a very similar manner?_, he wondered.

"S'the movie over?" She muttered, eyelids heavy and voice filled with sleep.

Suddenly, Lorelai had a flashback of Rory at age eleven saying those exact words in that exact voice. They were in the living room, the TV was older, the couch was lumpier, and Rory was much smaller; although, the only really significant difference was the absence of Luke sprawled out next to them. They had been watching a _Brat Pack _marathon when Rory had fallen asleep in the middle of _Pretty in Pink._ Lorelai had noticed instantly when the vibrations of laughter radiating through her were replaced by the subtle vibrato of her gentle snore. She had spent the end of the movie brushing Rory's dark brown curls with her fingertips. As the movie came to a close, Lorelai gently shook her awake; for she knew that Rory had gotten too heavy to be carried off to bed. Rory had stirred lightly before looking up at her mother and saying the exact same words in the exact same voice as she did now. Tears sprang to Lorelai's eyes, but she kept them at bay as she answered in the same way as she had over a decade ago.

"Yeah, Hon. The movie's over. Time for bed. Up you go." She whispered before ushering Rory to her feet and wrapping her arm around her waist to keep her from stumbling.

As she guided her daughter to her bedroom, she subconsciously noticed that Luke had gotten up to follow. Lorelai sat Rory down and let her lie back before pulling the covers up over her; Rory was asleep once her head hit her pillow. Lorelai sat on her bed next to her, conscious of the fact that Luke was there, leaning against the doorway. She kept her eyes on her daughter, trying and failing to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.

"I love you, Kid. More than you'll ever know." She whispered before placing a kiss on her forehead and walking toward the door.

Luke slipped his hand in hers as he closed the door to Rory's room. They walked toward the stairs side by side, Lorelai's head resting on Luke's shoulder, silent tears running down her cheeks as they went. As they entered their bedroom, they immediately headed to their soft, fluffy, white bed. Luke lay down and Lorelai, instead of walking around the bed to her spot, crawled over her fiancé before settling on her side with her back facing Luke. He turned and wrapped his arms around her from behind in a spooning position. Lorelai sighed and intertwined her fingers in his.

"I love you, ya know." Luke breathed in her ear.

"I know. I love you too. More than you'll ever know."

_And that's the end of that chapter. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Review please! _


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